Why The New Facebook Algorithm Changes Have Business Owners Worried

RecentFacebook algorithm changes have left many Facebook business page owners wondering why their organic reach significantly decreased. A recent study by Ignite Social Media looked into these changes with some shocking results. Their analysts reviewed 21 brands in the week since the algorithm change, and found that organic reach and organic reach percentage declined by 44% on average, some seeing declines as high as 88%. This is important because with the decline in reach, came the decrease in user engagement and engaged users have been shown to be a brand’s best customers. Facebook has indicated that brands should pay to promote their content, but Ignite’s research shows that organic content leads to better buying actions.

So where does this leave business owners who spend to actively build their followers and engagement?

Hopefully the instant drop in reach after the December 1st algorithm changes won’t last. Facebook has been making frequent changes lately trying to better their user experience, and there are sure to be more to come. We don’t think Facebook intentionally wants to harm business pages; after all, brands invest over 6 billion dollars with Facebook. It would be in their best interest to find a balance.

For now, we should all keep an eye on our engagement numbers and continue to put out the best content we can.

What are you doing to combat these changes? Are businesses fighting a losing battle against Facebook?